| Lindsey Graham on criticism of Trump: 'I don't remember John McCain having to go through this crap' Posted: 18 Jul 2019 02:44 PM PDT  Graham made the remark when asked about the contrast between how President Donald Trump and former Sen. John McCain treat their political opponents.
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| Italy police deal blow to 'violent' Nigerian mafia Posted: 18 Jul 2019 07:31 AM PDT  Italian police said Thursday they had arrested 19 suspected members of a Nigerian mob, including the leaders of a clan which forged alliances with other mafias and violently punished anyone who rebelled. In an operation dubbed "Burning Flame", coordinated by police in Bologna and Turin, over 300 officers carried out arrests and searches in nine cities across northern Italy from Bergamo to Modena, Parma and Ravenna. A two-year probe -- aided significantly by a man on the inside who fed details to investigators -- "has allowed us to destroy much of what, within the Nigerian community, is known as the 'Maphite' cult," police said in a statement.
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| Poll: 38 Percent of Democrats Say American Dream Is Unattainable for Them Posted: 18 Jul 2019 11:57 AM PDT  38 percent of Democrats say they do not believe they will achieve the American dream in their lifetimes, compared to just 11 percent of Republicans, according to a new Gallup poll.Two-thirds of independents said they see the dream as attainable, compared to 31 percent who said they do not. Overall, about 70 percent of Americans feel that American dream could be grasped, the poll reported, while 29 percent disagree.The 38 percent of Democrats who said they did not believe they could achieve the American dream represented a sharp increase from a decade ago, when 29 percent of Democrats said the same. President Trump has described the Republican party as "the party of the American Dream," perhaps contributing to the increasing partisan split on the matter."The American dream is back," the president said after taking office in 2017. "We're going to create an environment for small business like we haven't had in many, many decades."
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| UPDATE 1-U.S. amphibious group patrols Arabian Sea as Iran tensions simmer Posted: 18 Jul 2019 08:43 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-U.S. amphibious group patrols Arabian Sea as Iran tensions simmer]( "UPDATE 1-U.S. amphibious group patrols Arabian Sea as Iran tensions simmer") At a thumbs-up sign from a sailor, a U.S. Harrier fighter jet takes off from the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer in the Arabian Sea as an oil tanker passes, a nautical mile away. The patrol is "standard" but the situation - growing tension between the United States and Iran - is not. "We want to make sure that we assure allies in the region and to ensure freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce," says Colonel Fridrik Fridrikson, commanding officer of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
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| Marine Corps Tells Rep. Duncan Hunter He Can’t Use Trademarked Corps Material for His Campaign Posted: 18 Jul 2019 02:32 AM PDT  "It is personally disappointing to Congressman Hunter that he is now being told that he cannot use this motto or image that thousands of Marines like Congressman Hunter, who went to war under this banner, have used for tattoos, coins, and multiple other items of personal sentiment," Harrison told Task & Purpose.Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) has been told to stop using the Marine Corps' emblem and the 1st Marine Division's motto in his campaign literature, Corps officials confirmed.The Marine Corps Trademark Licensing Office has sent Hunter, a Marine veteran, a cease and desist letter telling him to quit using the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem along with the phrase, "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy," on a fundraising mailer that accuses his political opponent of having links to terrorism, NBC News first reported on Wednesday."Please be advised that you are more than welcome to simply and accurately state that you are a Marine Corps veteran, or provide other information about your service that is based on fact," according to the letter, which NBC News posted online. "As an alternative, we do offer a 'Marine Veteran' logo (Attachment B) for use by Marines to indicate their pride in service."Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Joseph Butterfield confirmed the Corps had "taken appropriate action" to address the campaign mailers cited in the NBC story.
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| Cambodia says plastic waste shipments came from US, Canada Posted: 17 Jul 2019 04:08 AM PDT  Almost seven dozen shipping containers sitting in a Cambodian seaport that were found to be filled with plastic waste came from the United States and Canada, the Southeast Asian country's Environment Ministry said Wednesday. Ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra said the total weight of the waste found in 83 containers in Sihanoukville, the country's main port, was 1,600 tons. Tuesday's discovery of the waste followed a statement at a Cabinet meeting last week by Prime Minister Hun Sen that Cambodia is not the dumping ground for any kind of waste, and does not allow the import of any kinds of plastic waste or other recyclables.
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| Rally Red 1972 Dodge Challenger Shows Off Its Muscles Posted: 18 Jul 2019 09:46 AM PDT  A stunning example of a highly desirable American icon. If you have been in the market for an iconic American muscle car, then you're in luck. GR Auto Gallery is pleased to announce this bold and beautiful 1972 Dodge Challenger up for sale. Dressed in a brilliant Rally Red paint job, the exterior shines at every angle and is in pristine condition. It's nicely contrasted by the tidy black interior with wooden accents. Overall, this example is in immaculate condition and was taken care of with love. Everything from the door panels to the dashboard and floor mats are like-new and very clean.The heart and soul of this bad boy is a massive 440 cubic-inch V8 motor paired to a smooth-shifting 727 automatic transmission. This 1972 Dodge Challenger received a full restoration, which includes the powertrain. The odometer reading on the add is 808 miles. Other features include front disc brakes, power steering and heat, all-new front suspension, and a 391 Sure Grip Posi rear end. The sale of this vehicle comes with a full folder of receipts for the restoration and general maintenance paperwork.The Challenger debuted in the fall of 1969 for the 1970 model year. The first-gen was positioned to compete against the Mercury Cougar and Pontiac Firebird in the higher end of the pony car segment. It was also a fairly late response to the Ford Mustang, which was introduced in April of 1964. Nevertheless, the American automaker intended for the Challenger to be the most potent pony car and produced a number of trim and option levels that included virtually every engine in Chrysler's lineup.The 1972 Dodge Challenger received just a few minor changes. For one, the grille sloped down on either side and extended below the bumper, where the headlights were housed in their respective panels. The taillights were also located in two separate housings on each side of the rear valance. The Rally grille and rear tail panel were both blacked out. Shaker hoods were left behind and replaced by either a flat hood or twin dummy scoops. The bumpers were also chromed out instead of being body-colored. Although some options were changed, buyers could still add front and rear spoilers, rear window louvers, and power accessories like seats and door locks. Read More: Peel Out In This Banana Yellow 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Set Of Rare 1971 Challengers Up For Grabs
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| Trump rally crowd chants 'send her back' as president attacks congresswoman Ilhan Omar Posted: 17 Jul 2019 07:05 PM PDT  Donald Trump rallied Republican supporters in North Carolina by harshly criticising four congresswoman of colour of being un-American and claiming they would ruin the United States. The attacks from the president during his campaign rally particularly targeted Rep. Ilhan Omar, a first-time Democrat lawmaker and Somali refugee, as he continued what has been a days-long diatribe. "She looks down with contempt on the hard-working Americans saying that ignorance is pervasive in many parts of this country," Mr Trump said of Ms Omar as the crowd booed at the mention of her name. The raucous crowd at the rally chanted "send her back", in reference to Mr Trump's racially-tinged tweets that urged the four congresswomen to leave the US than complain about his governance. Mr Trump then went on with his deeply personal attack against the liberal Ms Omar by referencing her comments about the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which some perceived as minimizing the event. The crowd broke into chants of "send her back", in reference to Mr Trump's tweets condemned as racist Credit: AFP The jabs at Ms Omar came as part of his wider excoriation of the four liberal congresswomen known as "the squad": Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley and Ms Omar. "I think in some cases they hate our country," Mr Trump declared to the crowd in Greenville, North Carolina, a swing state he won in 2016 and will likely need to carry again in next year's election. The president has ratcheted up his criticisms of the four lawmakers - their rebukes of him has drawn his ire - even as Democrats and some Republicans have condemned his original tweets as racist. Before he left Washington, Mr Trump said he has no regrets about his ongoing spat with the four. Trump told reporters he thinks he's "winning the political argument" and "winning it by a lot." "If people want to leave our country, they can. If they don't want to love our country, if they don't want to fight for our country, they can," Mr Trump said. "I'll never change on that." The president's rhetoric came during a campaign rally filled with his usual criticisms of the media Credit: Getty The president's incendiary rhetoric against Ms Omar and the other congresswomen came during a rally that was filled with his usual criticisms of media outlets and the investigation by Robert Mueller. Mr Mueller, the former special counsel, had been scheduled to testify before two House panels on Wednesday about Russia's election interference and possible obstruction of justice by Mr Trump. The campaign rally in North Carolina was organised, it is thought, in part so that Mr Trump could deliver counter-programming to Mr Mueller's testimony that would have been aired live on TV. Mr Mueller's appearance on Capitol Hill was ultimately postponed for a week, but Mr Trump brought him up anyway. "What happened to me with this witch hunt should never be allowed to happen to another president," he said of the former special counsel's near-two year investigations that consumed Washington. The president also spoke of illegal immigration, a main theme of both his first and now second election campaigns, before brushing off criticism for his tweets. "So controversial," he said sarcastically. Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings.
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| Man accused in Des Moines triple homicide returned to US twice after deportation, ICE says Posted: 18 Jul 2019 09:20 AM PDT  "Escobar-Orellana, aka, Marvin O. Esquivel-Lopez, was previously (deported) from the United States in 2010 and again in 2011," an ICE spokesman said.
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| At least 11 dead in Taliban attack on Afghan police HQ Posted: 18 Jul 2019 10:30 AM PDT  At least 11 people were killed and scores more wounded Thursday when the Taliban attacked a police headquarters in the southern city of Kandahar, officials and the insurgents said. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said the afternoon attack in Afghanistan's second-largest city started with a car bomb, then saw gunmen storm the police compound. Baheer Ahmadi, the Kandahar governor's spokesman, said in a statement that 11 people had been killed, including nine civilians and two police officers, while another 80 -- including women and children -- were wounded.
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| Pakistan lost $50 million from airspace restrictions: minister Posted: 18 Jul 2019 12:52 PM PDT ![Pakistan lost $50 million from airspace restrictions: minister]( "Pakistan lost $50 million from airspace restrictions: minister") Pakistan's aviation minister on Thursday said that his country suffered loses of over eight billion rupees ($50 million) from airspace restrictions imposed since February which affected hundreds of commercial and cargo flights. Pakistan closed its airspace after an attack by a Pakistan-based militant group in Indian-controlled Kashmir led to clashes between the nuclear-armed powers, adding flight time for passengers and fuel costs for airlines. "Over eight billion rupees worth of losses have been suffered by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority," Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Pakistan's aviation minister told a press conference in Karachi.
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| PHOTOS: Rebuilding Notre Dame Posted: 17 Jul 2019 11:14 AM PDT  Three months after a fire ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, a rare glimpse inside the burned masterpiece on Wednesday revealed it to be eerily empty and with rubble still littering the nave. Paris prosecutors said in June that a poorly stubbed-out cigarette or an electrical fault could have started the fire and opened an investigation into criminal negligence, without targeting any individual.
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| Rep. Mark Green says Democrats don't have their facts straight on conditions at migrant detention facilities Posted: 18 Jul 2019 11:11 AM PDT  Acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan faces heated questioning from House Democrats on border facilities; reaction from Congressman Mark Green, Republican member of the House Oversight Committee.
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| Lawyer: El Chapo was whisked away within hours of sentencing Posted: 18 Jul 2019 01:47 PM PDT  Only hours after receiving a life sentence, convicted Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was forced to make a sudden departure to the highest-security prison in the U.S. to serve the term, his lawyer said Thursday. A government helicopter whisked the narco, notorious for his daring jailbreaks, out of New York City on Wednesday after the sentencing in federal court in Brooklyn, said defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman. For most defendants, there's a lag between sentencing and a decision by the Bureau of Prisons on where to house them.
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| Chappaquiddick 50 years on: The car crash that forever tarnished Ted Kennedy Posted: 17 Jul 2019 03:03 PM PDT  He was the handsome young senator from an American political dynasty, widely tipped to win the White House. Heavily favoured to win the Democratic nomination for the presidency, Ted Kennedy looked set to square-off against Republican incumbent Richard Nixon at the 1972 election.But his hopes of emulating his older brother John F Kennedy were irreparably damaged 50 years ago.A car crash in Chappaquiddick would claim the life of a young female political campaigner and forever tarnish his reputation. Here The Independent examines the incident. What happened?On 18 July, 1969, Kennedy, aged 37 at the time, had been attending a party on Chappaquiddick Island, part of the affluent Massachusetts resort Martha's Vineyard.The Massachusetts senator had left the party with Mary Jo Kopechne, a 28-year-old political campaign specialist. He later testified at inquest that she had asked him to drop her back at a hotel.At around midnight, Kennedy's car swerved off a narrow, unlit bridge with no guardrails and plummeted into the Poucha Pond.He escaped the sinking saloon. Kopechne did not. Kennedy claimed he made several attempts to save her before giving up and returning to the party on foot.Later, he said he returned with two friends for another rescue attempt but that was foiled by the strong tide.Ten hours passed before the senator reported the incident to the police, minutes before Kopechne's body was recovered from the vehicle. John Farrar, the diver who recovered the corpse, said he believed she died from suffocation rather than drowning, trapped potentially for hours in a small air pocket inside the car. What action was taken?Just a week after the crash on 25 July, Kennedy pleaded guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident and received a suspended two-month prison sentence, the statutory minimum for the offence.His attorneys had argued he should be granted a lenient sentence by the judge, due to his age, character and prior reputation. That night the senator made a speech in which he insisted he had not been driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, as well as denying "widely circulated suspicions of immoral conduct" surrounding his relationship with Kopechne.He described his decision not to immediately report the incident to the police as "indefensible", stating that he was overcome by a "jumble of emotions—grief, fear, doubt, exhaustion, panic, confusion, and shock."An inquest would later conclude there was "probable cause to believe" Kennedy had been operating the vehicle negligently. A tarnished figureKennedy's inaction caused significant damage to his reputation.Prior to the incident, he was popular throughout the country and was seen by many to follow in the footsteps of his brothers, John and Robert, by running for the presidency. Five years before the crash, Kennedy had been re-elected to the senate with 75 per cent of the vote. In an election 15 months after the crash, his margin of victory was reduced to 64 per cent. He did not run in the 1972 or 1976 presidential race, a decision likely taken as a result of Kopechne's death. When Kennedy decided to run in 1980, renewed interest in the Chappaquiddick incident hindered his campaign.His Democratic primary opponent, then-president Jimmy Carter, frequently called into question Kennedy's character by alluding to the events on the resort island. After a failed campaign, Kennedy abandoned his White House dreams. He went on to serve in the Senate for another four decades until his death.In Kennedy's posthumous memoir, True Compass, he called the incident a "horrible tragedy that haunts me every day of life." The Edward M Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, a body created in honour of his 47 years of service in the Senate, has no plans to commemorate the incident and the death of Kopechne.
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| ‘I am disgusted’: New Yorkers react to Trump telling congresswomen to ‘go back’ to their countries Posted: 18 Jul 2019 01:14 PM PDT  New Yorkers, like much of the country, have some strong opinions about the latest controversy engulfing President Trump. "I am disgusted at the Republicans," said Randi, of Manhattan. "I can't believe no one stands up to him. I thought of myself as independent, and I'm forced into being a Democrat."
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| 'Not what your mom sent you:' Teen takes legendary senior photos in a bathrobe Posted: 18 Jul 2019 09:25 AM PDT  Evan Dennison wanted to do something funny for his senior photos. No one believed he would actually do it. Now he is a "legend."
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| View Photos of the Lexus GXOR Concept Posted: 18 Jul 2019 09:59 AM PDT |
| Asylum seekers anxiously cross into U.S. as new policy kicks in Posted: 17 Jul 2019 04:16 PM PDT ![Asylum seekers anxiously cross into U.S. as new policy kicks in]( "Asylum seekers anxiously cross into U.S. as new policy kicks in") As a new Trump administration policy aimed at making almost all migrants ineligible for asylum at the U.S. southern border spread fear this week, those at the front of the line in Mexican border cities found the gates to the United States were still open, though they will face a much higher bar to stay. As the policy went into effect on Tuesday, migrants in Ciudad Juarez and other Mexican border towns were cautiously optimistic: U.S. officials were still moving down the list of asylum seekers, calling migrants to cross the bridge into the United States and apply.
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| 'Nobody cares about us': Hunger and despair for India flood victims Posted: 18 Jul 2019 03:42 AM PDT  Chest-deep in brown, flowing monsoon water and holding bags of clothes and utensils above their heads, residents in the Indian state of Bihar are hungry and despairing. "When many of us poor people drown, then the politicians suddenly take notice... But otherwise, nobody cares about us," shopkeeper Raj Majhi told AFP. Majhi's home -- like many others -- is submerged, with only rooftops remaining above floodwaters.
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| Big Guns: Army Prototypes Range-Doubling New Artillery Weapon to Outgun Russia Posted: 17 Jul 2019 12:02 AM PDT  The Army is building prototypes of a new artillery cannon that can more than double the range of existing weapons and vastly alter the strategic and tactical landscape shaping land war into the future.The Army program, called Extended Range Cannon Artillery, has been developing for several years; it is now entering a new phase through an Army deal with BAE Systems to build "Increment 1" prototypes."This prototype phase will address capability gaps in the Army's indirect fire systems and improve the rate and range of fire with the development of power distribution software and hardware integration solutions," a BAE Systems statement said.During testing thus far, the Army has successfully fired a 155mm artillery round 62 kilometers - marking a technical breakthrough in the realm of land-based weapons and progressing toward its stated goal of being able to outrange and outgun Russian and Chinese weapons.Currently, most land-fired artillery shot from an M777 Towed Howitzer or Self-Propelled Howitzer are able to pinpoint targets out to 30km - so hitting 62km dramatically changes Army offensive attack capability. As part of an effort to ensure the heavy M777 is sufficiently mobile, the Army completed a "mobility" demonstration of ERCA prototypes last year.
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| ‘I saw hate in his eyes’: White security guard pulls gun on black police officer Posted: 17 Jul 2019 01:52 AM PDT  Sheriff's deputy Alan Gaston thought they were on the same side.One man, Mr Gaston, was a high-ranking officer in the Lucas County, Ohio, sheriff's department with 34 years of experience.The other was a security guard contracted to protect an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) office in Toledo.But then the guard pulled his gun. He raised his voice. He put a hand on Mr Gaston's arm and rested his finger on the trigger.In a matter of seconds, what began with a routine errand at the IRS escalated into a frightening standoff between a white security guard and a black police officer, who said he heard hate in the guard's shouts and believed he would be shot."You don't expect to be ambushed by someone who you think is on the same team," Mr Gaston told The Washington Post."I feel there was definitely some racial overtones involved. And I'm not the type of person to throw the race card, I'm just telling you the facts. I looked in his eyes and I saw hate in his eyes."He had stopped by the IRS office during his shift on 31 May to ask a question about a letter the agency sent him.He was in full uniform, his badge and his firearm in clear view.The security guard, identified in court documents as Seth Eklund, asked Mr Gaston to leave his gun in his patrol car.When Mr Gaston replied he couldn't do that, he said Mr Eklund became hostile. Mr Eklund accused Mr Gaston of reaching for his weapon, shouting "get your hands off your gun", even though Mr Gaston said his hands were visible and nowhere near his holster.Mr Gaston, who has years of experience teaching defensive tactics, decided it was time for him to leave.He recalled a wide-eyed elderly couple in the office waiting room watching the exchange, and he said he feared for the bystanders' safety. Mr Gaston turned to go.As he walked out of the cramped office, Mr Eklund drew his gun, trained it on Mr Gaston's back and followed him. At one point, Mr Gaston said, Mr Eklund tried to arrest the uniformed officer."He came around the corner with his weapon out, telling me, 'you had your chance, you're not going anywhere, I'm detaining you'," Gaston said."That's when I was preparing myself to be shot. The hate and anger he had against me, I was getting ready to be shot by this security guard for no reason."Mr Eklund, who could not be reached for comment, pleaded not guilty to one charge of aggravated menacing in a court appearance on Monday.Mr Gaston and his wife have also filed a lawsuit against Mr Eklund and the two security firms that apparently employed him.Representatives of those companies, Paragon Systems and Praetorian Shield, did not respond to requests for comment. The IRS declined to comment.The local news station WTVG published what it claims to be security camera footage of the interaction and The Washington Post obtained screenshots of the video.The images show Mr Gaston backing away and attempting to leave the building in an elevator. But Mr Eklund, gun still drawn, blocks the door with his foot.Mr Gaston says he felt cornered, scared. He took out his phone to take a picture of Mr Eklund, he said, and the security guard finally holstered his weapon.Heather Taylor, president of the Ethical Society of Police in St Louis, said that Mr Eklund behaved recklessly and likely would not have treated a white officer the same way."We know what it's like being an African American police officer in a city," Ms Taylor said. "A lot of us realise that, hey, even though you're in uniform, that doesn't mean you're safe."The tense scene recalled other, infamous incidents with grisly endings. Ms Taylor pointed to the case of Jemel Roberson, a black security guard who was killed by a Midlothian, Illinois, police officer while they both responded to a shooting at the bar where Roberson worked.She also mentioned Detective Jacai Colson in Maryland, who was killed by a fellow officer while working undercover. Mr Colson, according to a lawsuit, had his badge in his hand and was shouting "Police! Police!" before he was killed."You're not given the benefit of the doubt as a minority," Ms Taylor said. "It's something we've been highlighting forever and now here's another example of it."She applauded Mr Gaston's cool demeanour in the face of what she said was potentially lethal bigotry.Mr Gaston said he didn't feel that Mr Eklund respected him as a law enforcement officer, and in more than three decades of police work has never dealt with anything like that.He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depression, he said. He's been on medical leave and is seeing a counsellor twice a week. The civil suit Mr Gaston and his wife filed seeks compensation.The standoff between Mr Gaston and Mr Eklund ended, he said, when Toledo police officers responded to a 911 call from inside the building that mentioned a man who has "got a gun" and "won't leave". The caller didn't mention that the man was a police officer.When Toledo police arrived, Mr Gaston recounted, they told Mr Eklund: "You know he's a uniformed deputy sheriff, right? We can go anywhere in this building we want."Washington Post
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| Mumbai attack 'mastermind' arrested as Imran Khan prepares to meet Donald Trump Posted: 17 Jul 2019 09:24 AM PDT  Donald Trump has welcomed the arrest of a cleric accused of masterminding the Mumbai attacks, but faced mockery for saying it took years to find the suspect, when he is notorious for living openly in Pakistan. Hafiz Saeed was held on suspicion of terrorist financing offences just days before Mr Trump is due to welcome Pakistan's prime minister, Imran Khan, to the White House. The founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group has a $10m US bounty on his head for his alleged role behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. Saeed has lived openly in Pakistan despite pressure for Islamabad to bring him to justice, and the issue has helped poison relations with Washington and Delhi. While the 69-year-old has spent time under house arrest, he has never been charged or tried. India officials expressed scepticism that he would face justice now, suggesting the arrest had been made to appease America ahead of Mr Khan's visit to reset acrimonious relations. After a ten year search, the so-called "mastermind" of the Mumbai Terror attacks has been arrested in Pakistan. Great pressure has been exerted over the last two years to find him!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 17, 2019 "We want real action, not these kinds of steps that are reversible," an Indian official told Reuters. "One court orders his arrest, another frees him." He went on: "We have seen this before. After the visit is over, things are usually back to what they were before." Mr Trump welcomed the arrest. He said: "After a 10-year search, the so-called 'mastermind' of the Mumbai Terror attacks has been arrested in Pakistan. Great pressure has been exerted over the last two years to find him!" Husain Haqqani, a former Pakistani ambassador to Washington said: "Finding him was never an issue. He operated freely and was highly visible. He has been arrested and released many times over." Nadim Awan, Saeed's spokesman, denounced the arrest and said the cleric had left Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2001, shortly before its was banned. Mr Awan said they would challenge Saeed's arrest before a higher court Pakistan has for decades groomed and harboured militant groups to exert influence on neighbours. It's refusal to stop has angered the international community, but previous crackdowns on jihadists have often been viewed as ineffective or insincere.
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| Delaware woman who says she was brutally beaten in the Dominican Republic sues resort for $3 million Posted: 18 Jul 2019 04:07 AM PDT  The Delaware woman who claims she was beaten unconscious in the Dominican Republic has sued the resort for $3 million.
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| Argentina acts against Hezbollah, blamed for terror attacks Posted: 18 Jul 2019 11:01 AM PDT  Argentina's government on Thursday branded Hezbollah a terrorist organization and froze its assets, 25 years to the day after a bombing blamed on the Lebanese-based group destroyed a Jewish community center in Argentina's capital, killing 85 people. The nation's Financial Information Unit took the action a day after President Mauricio Macri's government created a list of terrorist organizations to help coordinate actions with other nations and as the nation held memorial services for victims of the attack, for which no one has been convicted. The unit noted that Hezbollah has been accused of responsibility for a 1992 attack on the Israeli Embassy in Argentina that killed 29 people, as well as the 1994 attack on the Argentine-Israelite Mutual Association in Buenos Aires.
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| Flynn had $4.6M unpaid legal tab, records show Posted: 18 Jul 2019 08:04 AM PDT  Law firm Covington & Burling took on Trump's ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn in early 2017, when his lobbying and consulting work came under scrutiny.
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| Russia summons U.S. diplomat in Moscow in protest over visa row Posted: 18 Jul 2019 08:44 AM PDT ![Russia summons U.S. diplomat in Moscow in protest over visa row]( "Russia summons U.S. diplomat in Moscow in protest over visa row") Russia summoned a representative of the U.S. embassy in Moscow on Thursday to issue a protest after U.S. officials alleged Russia had refused visas to teachers at an international school in Moscow, the Russian foreign ministry said. The ministry said in a statement it had not denied the visas, but that teachers at the school were entering Russia under diplomatic visas, despite not being diplomats. It said Russia was ready to issue visas promptly to U.S. diplomatic personnel as soon as Washington started issuing visas promptly to Russian diplomats in the United States.
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| Tiger, rhinos flee to higher ground in India's flood-hit Assam Posted: 17 Jul 2019 05:08 PM PDT  A tiger escaped from a wildlife park in India's flood-ravaged Assam and stretched out on a shophouse bed Thursday, startling residents and shining a spotlight on the plight of animals caught up in the deluge. The adult tiger -- weighing more than 200 pounds (90 kilogrammes) -- was like many other beasts in the World Heritage-listed Kaziranga National Park, trying to reach dry land as the reserve became submerged by heavy rains. More than 50 wild animals have died so far, including some in traffic accidents, as they tried to cross a busy highway outside the park and reach the nearby Karbi hills, local media reported.
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| House Vote to Repeal Obamacare Tax Shows Health Care Tension Posted: 17 Jul 2019 03:58 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The House voted overwhelmingly to repeal a tax Wednesday intended to fund the Affordable Care Act, preserving tax breaks for employer-sponsored insurance plans favored by large corporations.In a reversal of the usual partisan roles, Democrats rather than Republicans led the charge to kill a key part of Obamacare.The bill to repeal the levy commonly known as the "Cadillac tax" passed 419-6 with bipartisan support. The 40% excise tax on the most generous and expensive employer health-insurance plans was included in Obamacare as a measure that economists said would help curb health costs.Congress kept delaying its implementation so the tax has never actually been collected. Had it gone into effect, it would have hit about one in five employers that offer health benefits to their workers, according to estimates from the Kaiser Family Foundation.The vote to repeal the tax highlights the conflicting forces pulling at Democrats when campaigning versus legislating.Several of the party's presidential candidates led by Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren support replacing nearly all private insurance with a government-run system financed by tax increases. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the front-runner in the race, has a less sweeping plan to bolster Obamacare, but it still would offer a public health insurance option funded by tax hikes on the wealthy.But in Congress, Democrats and Republicans are facing pressure from labor unions and large companies to move in the opposite direction by keeping tax advantages for employer-sponsored plans. Supporters of repealing the tax say keeping it in place would force employers to offer less generous health insurance to their workers.Employers can reap large tax savings by compensating their employees in the form of more extensive health insurance, rather than wages, which are subject to payroll taxes. Employer-paid premiums are exempt from federal income and payroll taxes, and the premiums employees pay are also often excluded from taxable income.Changing Minds"I've been a supporter of the Cadillac tax because I thought it would" lower health care costs, said Representative Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat in the House. "But I've read some additional material on it and it's obviously overwhelmingly thought this will not have the effect in terms of raising money or controlling cost that I thought it would have."The dissonance among Democrats about whether to expand or shrink employer-sponsored health coverage makes them look like "gymnasts," said Representative Mike Kelly, a Pennsylvania Republican."Where are you on this stuff?" he said. "Wait a minute, you're all advocating that there be no such thing as employer-sponsored coverage."The repeated delays in imposing the Cadillac tax delays mean that Congress was never able to test whether it would curb the explosion of health care spending, which has risen an average 4.2% every quarter between 2010 and 2018, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation.The repeal also would mean that the Treasury Department won't collect the $201 billion the Joint Committee on Taxation estimated it would raise over a decade.Obamacare TaxesObamacare included several other tax increases, including a 3.8% tax on investment income and a 0.9% levy on wages for top-earners. The portion of the law that was supposed to be financed through the Cadillac tax instead would be paid for through deficit spending, unless lawmakers propose a last-minute tax increase to offset the cost.Democrats have generally opposed measures to chip away at President Barack Obama's signature legislative achievement, but the Cadillac tax has been unpopular since it became part of the code.The measure to repeal it, H.R. 748, was passed under a fast-track procedure requiring two-thirds support among House members.Yet popularity doesn't necessarily mean good policy, said Marc Goldwein, senior vice president at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Politicians don't like the tax on health benefits, but nearly every economist thinks the Cadillac tax or a similar measure is necessary to help slow the rise in health-care costs and curb overuse of health services, he added."Just because it's bipartisan doesn't mean it's good," he said.Not all Democrats are on board with eliminating the tax. Representative Ron Kind, a Wisconsin Democrat, said he opposes the repeal because the cost isn't offset and there wasn't any discussion about how scuttling the tax would affect the Affordable Care Act overall."I think we are lapsing into some very bad habits in the majority," he said. "We need to start instilling some fiscal discipline in this place and making some tough decisions."Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, hasn't committed to addressing the issue in his chamber. Because the repeal effort is led by Democrats, it sets up a path for McConnell to use it as a vehicle to attach Republican tax priorities, such as correcting errors in the 2017 tax law or extending several expired tax breaks that benefit the biodiesel and energy industries."We've kicked the can down the road for so long on this one that the assumption is that it's never going to go into effect," said Representative Dan Kildee, a Michigan Democrat. "There's a certain inevitability to this one getting repealed."\--With assistance from Emily Wilkins.To contact the reporter on this story: Laura Davison in Washington at ldavison4@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Laurie AsséoFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| The U.S. Marine Corps Has Lost More Than 25,000 Marines to Misconduct Posted: 18 Jul 2019 12:42 AM PDT  The Marine Corps has lost more than 25,000 Marines to misconduct over the past decade, according to Commandant Gen. David Berger.In his 2019 Commandant's Planning Guidance, Berger said that the Corps "continued loss of 8,000 Marines per year to non-EAS attrition is unacceptable," using an acronym to describe the end of active service in an enlistment.A total of 25,336 Marines were booted from the Corps between 2009 and 2019; 11,765 were for drug and alcohol offenses, while 13,571 were over unspecified misconduct."This must change," Berger wrote, noting that the cost to replace that many Marines was in excess of $1 billion.Interestingly, that number should be even higher, as its section on drug use reveals. Since Oct. 2017, 2,410 Marines tested positive for illegal drug use, but only 1,175, or 48.8%, had been separated. "I am deeply troubled by the continued retention of Marines failing to adhere to our standards related to drug use.""We are an elite institution of warriors, and will remain so on my watch," Berger wrote. "It is our shared responsibility to ensure the continued health of our collective soul and identity."Toward the end of the 26-page document, which largely focused on changes Berger intended to implement as the top Marine officer, the new commandant talked about misconduct in the force and what he called "destructive" behavior.Of sexual assault, for example, Berger said that despite the Corps' efforts, "the continued rise in reporting leads me to conclude that we still do not fully understand the scope and scale of this issue, or that we can say with any confident that the measures we have taken to date are preventing sexual assaults."
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| View Photos of the 2020 Nissan GT-R NISMO Posted: 18 Jul 2019 05:00 AM PDT |
| France turns down citizenship for immigrant nurse because she 'works too much' Posted: 18 Jul 2019 06:27 AM PDT  France has rejected an immigrant nurse's application for citizenship on the grounds that she was working too many hours a week in breach of the statutory 35-hour week and strict limits on overtime. The nurse, whose name and nationality have not been made public, holds three jobs and averages 59 hours a week, which the authorities said placed her "in violation of regulations on working time in France". The 35-hour rule introduced under a Socialist government in 2000 gave France one of the world's shortest working weeks, but it has since been loosened and employees may be permitted to work up to 48 hours a week including overtime. The Préfecture in Val-de Marne, near Paris, said in a letter to the nurse that it was "postponing" her naturalisation application for two years. The letter was posted on social media by one of her friends, Nicolas Delage. "I find this scandalous," Mr Delage told the online newspaper 20 Minutes. "One reason for granting [French] nationality is work. She is not stealing anyone's work." Sanjay Navy, a lawyer, said immigrants were often denied naturalisation for working too many hours. "I've seen similar cases before this. This is not an isolated decision." Mr Navy said he had seen a number of naturalisation applications by security guards turned down because they had multiple employers and worked too many hours. According to the most recent official figures, some 63,000 immigrants were granted French citizenship in 2017. The French are bitterly divided over the 35-hour week, which became a campaign issue in the 2017 presidential election. The unsuccessful conservative candidate, François Fillon, promised to abolish it, arguing that it caused economic stagnation. Emmanuel Macron, the victorious centrist, has stopped short of scrapping it but has introduced greater flexibility for companies to negotiate longer hours with staff. An economy ministry report in April which revealed that more than 300,000 civil servants work less than 35 hours a week caused outrage among private-sector employees, many of whom say they regularly work longer hours to achieve their targets. A baker in northern France was fined €3,000 (£2,700) last year for breaching legal limits on work hours by opening his bakery seven days a week. Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings.
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| House votes to block Trump administration's weapons deal with Saudi Arabia amid veto threat Posted: 17 Jul 2019 03:24 PM PDT  The vote highlights backlash against a weapons deal for $8.1 billion in bombs, precision-guided missiles and other weapons to the Saudis and its allies.
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| The Latest: Arkansas state police ID sheriff's deputy killed Posted: 18 Jul 2019 01:30 PM PDT ![The Latest: Arkansas state police ID sheriff's deputy killed]( "The Latest: Arkansas state police ID sheriff's deputy killed") Arkansas State Police have identified a sheriff's deputy killed in a shooting in northern Arkansas as Sergeant Mike Stephen. State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said Stephen responded to a domestic welfare check at a house in Leslie, about 77 miles (124 kilometers) from Little Rock, around 8:40 Thursday morning. Stephen was killed at the scene.
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| Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin Were Supposed to Nap After Landing on the Moon, But They Couldn't Wait to Walk Posted: 18 Jul 2019 01:31 PM PDT  And other highlights from TIME's original 1969 coverage of the Apollo 11 moon landing
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| Ex-chairman of Vietnam's BIDV bank dies in detention Posted: 18 Jul 2019 12:22 AM PDT ![Ex-chairman of Vietnam's BIDV bank dies in detention]( "Ex-chairman of Vietnam's BIDV bank dies in detention") A former head of Vietnam's second largest listed bank, the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), died in detention on Thursday, state media and three sources with direct knowledge of the situation said. Tran Bac Ha was arrested in November last year in a widening crackdown on corruption in the Southeast Asian country, which has seen its Communist-ruled government launch investigations into hundreds of public officials and several executives at state-owned enterprises jailed. Ha had not stood trial and was being held at a military detention center near Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.
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| India's 'dosa king' dies one week into life term Posted: 18 Jul 2019 01:51 AM PDT  An Indian restaurant tycoon known as the "Dosa King" died in hospital Thursday, a week after beginning a life sentence for the murder of a love rival. P. Rajagopal, 71, was convicted for the murder of his love interest's husband in 2004, but only went to jail this month when the Supreme Court rejected his final appeal. Rajagopal, who turned his Saravana Bhawan restaurant into a global chain, died at Chennai's Vijaya hospital where he was taken on Tuesday with heart problems.
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| Mnuchin Warns Europe Not to Breach U.S. Sanctions on Iran Posted: 18 Jul 2019 06:17 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin made clear that participating in the U.S. financial system means abiding by its sanctions amid a European effort to sidestep American economic pressure on Iran to continue trade.Germany, France and the U.K. created a financing vehicle known as Instex in January to allow companies to do some trade with Iran without the use of U.S. dollars or American banks -- thus allowing them to get around wide-ranging American sanctions that were imposed after the Trump administration abandoned the 2015 Iran nuclear deal last year."We've been very clear that we expect U.S. sanctions to be adhered to," Mnuchin said in response to questions from reporters on Thursday in France where he met with Group of Seven counterparts. "Whether it's Iran or anyone else, if people want to participate in the dollar system people will be obligated to follow the U.S. sanctions."He said that Instex should be "careful on diligence."Treasury's top sanctions official, Sigal Mandelker, sent a letter in May warning European allies not to violate sanctions through Instex. Mnuchin confirmed that a letter was sent.European countries broadly opposed Trump's decision to withdraw from the nuclear accord but have struggled to deliver the economic benefits Iran expected from the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, since the U.S. quit. In the meantime, U.S. sanctions have delivered a blow to Iran's economy, fueling inflation, reducing oil revenue and pressuring President Hassan Rouhani's government. Instex was supposed to help address that, but so far it has largely failed to get up and running.Frustrated at the U.S. withdrawal and stalled European efforts, Iran has already breached some of the limits on its nuclear program imposed under the deal, and has warned European governments that it will give up on the accord entirely unless they can find some way to work around the U.S. sanctions.To contact the reporter on this story: Saleha Mohsin in Washington at smohsin2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth Wasserman, Bill FariesFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Massachusetts prosecutors drop charges against Kevin Spacey in groping case Posted: 17 Jul 2019 02:35 PM PDT  Prosecutors have dropped a case accusing Kevin Spacey of groping a young man at a Massachusetts resort island bar in 2016.
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| What Rare Earths Tell Us about China's Competitive Strategy Posted: 17 Jul 2019 09:27 AM PDT  The recent debate over whether or not China will carry through on its threats to stop exporting rare earth minerals to the United States is an important one. It raises deeply unsettling questions about the strength of America's defense industrial supply chain. But Beijing's monopolization of the global rare earths industry gives it far more than a card to play in an escalating trade war. The game is far bigger and the stakes higher than even many national-security experts seem to realize.In the minds of Chinese strategists, this issue is ultimately about which nation, China or America, wins the central struggle of the twenty-first century, the race for world leadership. Obviously, they intend to win and to win big.The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) considers rare earths to be essential for growing China's power and eclipsing the United States. Official Chinese propaganda outlets recently called rare earths "strategic resources" for the "six new technology groups" that Beijing sees as engines of China's future strength. These include information technology, medical technology, new materials, new energy sources, space technology, and advanced shipbuilding. According to the report, a major breakthrough in the application of rare earths is being made every five years, and one out of every six new inventions involves these minerals.
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| This Dyson cordless vacuum deal for $150 is better than anything from Prime Day Posted: 18 Jul 2019 09:07 AM PDT  There's nothing quite like a Dyson cordless vacuum. There's also nothing quite as expensive as a Dyson cordless vacuum. That's why it's so important to find a good deal if you really want a Dyson, and it doesn't get much better than this one. Amazon is offering a killer one day sale that slashes the price of renewed Dyson V6 Motorhead Cord Free Vacuums to just $149.99. This deal definitely could sell out, so grab one while you can!Here are the bullet points from the product page: * 75% more brush bar power than the V6 Cord-free vacuum * Cord-free. Hassle-free. Quickly and easily clean when you need to * Up to 20 minutes of continuous suction. Trigger releases instantly. Also features max power mode - which provides up to 6 minutes of higher suction for more difficult tasks * The Direct-drive cleaner head drives bristles deeper into the carpet to remove even more dirt. 15 cyclones, arranged across two tiers, work in parallel to increase airflow and capture fine dust * Quickly convert to a handheld for quick clean ups, spot cleaning and cleaning difficult places. Includes convenient docking station that stores and charges the machine, and holds additional attachments. So it's always ready to go * This Certified Refurbished product is manufacturer refurbished, shows limited or no wear, includes all original accessories, and a 6 month Dyson limited warranty against original defects in materials & workmanship; warranty covers private household use in accordance with the owner's manual
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| After census debacle, White House to knock out senior Commerce official Posted: 18 Jul 2019 10:24 AM PDT  Senior Trump aides have sparred with the policy director for Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross over the census, 5G and other issues.
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| Texas teen arrested for spitting in tea bottle and putting it back, police say Posted: 18 Jul 2019 10:57 AM PDT ![Texas teen arrested for spitting in tea bottle and putting it back, police say]( "Texas teen arrested for spitting in tea bottle and putting it back, police say") Police arrested a 15-year-old boy for spitting in an Arizona Tea bottle and putting it back on the shelf at an Odessa Albertsons, according to CB7.
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| The Latest: Illinois jury goes home without sentence verdict Posted: 17 Jul 2019 03:55 PM PDT  Jurors have gone home after a first day of deliberations without a decision on whether a former University of Illinois doctoral student should be put to death for slaying a young scholar from China. The jury withdrew to deliberate Wednesday afternoon after closing arguments in the death-penalty stage of the case against Brendt Christensen. The same jurors convicted him last month of killing Yingying Zhang.
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| White-collar prosecutions and corporate fines drop under Trump Posted: 18 Jul 2019 04:56 AM PDT  A drop in white-collar crime prosecutions and corporate fines during the Trump administration has prompted a warning from a leading law firm.New York-based Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz issued a memo to its clients noting the "significant" decrease in both the number of cases and the scale of penalties over the last two years.The lawyers advised businesses not to relax their approach to laws and regulations, adding: "Our experience suggests that succumbing to such temptation would be a mistake."It comes after data from the US Department of Justice revealed white-collar prosecutions – including offences of fraud, antitrust violations and identity theft – hit a 20-year low earlier this year.Prosecutions peaked in 2011, during Barack Obama's first term in office, and have steadily declined since, according to Syracuse University's TRAC reports."White-collar prosecutions since President Trump assumed office generally have been lower than in previous administrations," researchers said. Corporate fines from criminal prosecutions also plunged by more than 90 per cent, according to a study comparing the last year of the Obama administration and the first year under President Trump.The "lighter touch" approach towards the banking industry is further demonstrated by a large drop in the number of cases pursued by the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to analysis by The New York Times."In such an environment, companies might be tempted to think that having an effective compliance programme is less urgent and less important than the past," Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz told its clients on Wednesday."In fact, now is arguably the best time for corporations to continue investing in their compliance programmes to ensure they have in place an effective and comprehensive set of compliance policies, procedures and internal controls."> Extraordinary memo from Wachtell tonight conceding that white collar enforcement in Trump era is way down pic.twitter.com/2ljocRQOlr> > — Sujeet Indap (@sindap) > > July 18, 2019The Department of Justice has previously tried to deny suggestions that white-collar prosecutions are decreasing, claiming a three per cent rise during the year to September 2018, with more than 6,500 suspects charged nationwide."President Donald Trump is a law-and-order president—and this is a law-and-order administration," said attorney general Jeff Sessions, less than three weeks before he resigned at Mr Trump's request.
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